Instantaneous water heater



Dec. 9, 1 24- 1,518,883

c. c. WEAVER INSTANTANEOUS WATER HEATER Filed Sept. 27, 1920 2ShetS-ShGQt 1 NV EE W by Dec. 9, 24. 1,518,883 C. C. WEAVERINSTANTANEOUS WATER HEATER Filed Sept. 27, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Dec. 9, 1924.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHRISTOPHER C. WEAVER, OF GARY, INDIANA.

INSTANTANEOUS WATER HEATER.

Application filed September 27, 1920.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER C. WEAVER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of the city of Gar in the county of Lake andState of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inan Instantaneous Water Heater; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates more particularly to an improved type of aninstantaneous water heater wherein the water coils are so arranged thatthe water just before leaving the heater is run through the lowermostcoil of the heater and subjected to the hottest temperature in theheater before escaping through the hot water outlet pipe.

It is an object of this invention to provide an instantaneous waterheater wherein water to be heated is first run into an intake chamberedpipe and then conducted upwardly through a plurality of coils connectedin series to enter the upper end of an outlet chan'ibered pipe andbefore being discharged passing through a lower discharge coilpositioned directly above the heater burners to receive the greatestamount of heat before flowing into the heater outlet pipe.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a water heater whereinwater to be heated is first run through a series of superimposed coilsand finally through a discharge coil disposed below said coils anddirectly above the heater burners.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hot water heater with animproved type of a heating unit having a plurality of coils connected inseries by means of a chambered intake pipe, the upper coil of saidseries of coils having one end connected with a discharge chambered pipeto the lower end of which a discharge coil is connected and disposedbelow said series of coils in position to receive the maximum amount ofheat from the heater burners.

It is a further object of this invention to construct a heater unitwherein the various coils are connected in series with one of the twocoils through which the water passes last being disposed furthest fromthe heater Serial No. 413,094.

burners while the other coil is positioned nearest said heater burners.

It is furthermore an object of the invention to construct a heater coilunit wherein the first water intake coil is disposed above the dischargecoil.

It is an in'iportant object of this invent-ion to provide a hot waterheater of simple and effective design with an improved coil unit thevertical pipes of which are partitioned to afford chambers whereby watercoils may be connected in series with the coil through which the heatedwater passes through last being positioned below the remaining coils andnearest the heater burners.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparentfrom the disclosures in the specification and drawings.

The invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings andhereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of an instantaneous waterheater embodying the principles of this invention.

Figure 2 is a central vertical section thereof with parts shown inelevation.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the uppermost water coil.

Figure at is a top plan view of one of the remaining water coils.

Figure 5 is a section taken on line 5-5, of Figure 4-.

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 66, of FigureFigure 7 is a fragmentary detail section taken on line 'i'-7, of Figure6.

Figure 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 88, of Figure 2.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary detail section taken on line 99, of Figure 8.

As shown on the drawings:

The reference numeral 1, indicates a base supported by legs 2-, andhaving integrally formed thereon a circular gas header or burner basering 3. A plurality of gas burners 4, are ren'iovably supported on thegas header 3, and are arranged in a circle with the burner openingsdirected inwardly. Supported on the base 1, is a cylindrical lowercasing section 5, provided with a front door 6 to permit convenientaccess to be had to the burners 4. integrally formed within the burnercasing section a, are two oppositely disposed upwardly directed waterinlet and outlet elbows 7 and 8, respectively.

Projecting into the burner casing section 5, is an auxiliary gas supplypipe 9, the inner end of which is bent upwardly at right angles withinthe ring of burners 4. Mounted on the inner upturned end of theauxiliary pipe 9, is a pilot burner 10. A gas regulating cock or valve11, is provided in the auxiliary pipe 9, outside of the burner casingsection 5. A gas supply or inlet pipe 12 is provided, and has connectedthereto a three way connector 13, to which the outer end of theauxiliary gas pipe 9 is attached. Also connected to the three wayconnector 13, is one end of a gas pipe 14, the other end of which isconnected to the burner base ring 3. An automatic gas valve 15, isprovided in the pipe 14, directly below a water pressure control valve16. The two valves 15 and 16, are connected by a brace ring 17, toproperly align the valve stems 18 and 19 of the respective automaticcontrol valves 15 and 16. A Water inlet pipe 20 is connected to thewater pressure control valve 16. Connecting the water pressure controlvalve 16 with the casing inlet elbow 7, is a short pipe length 21.Connected with the casing water outlet elbow 8, is a water outlet pipe22.

Supported in a suitable groove provided in the upper end of the burnercasing section 5 is the lower end of a cylindrical upper casing section23, adapted to enclose the water coils of the heater. The upper casingsection 23, is provided with a front door 24. Mounted upon the upper endof the upper casing section 23, is a top rim or ring 25, for supportinga casing cover or hood 26. The casing hood 26, is provided with acentral flue opening.

Disposed within the heater casing section 23, and supported on theelbows 7 and 8, 1s a water coil unit which embraces the importantfeatures of this invention. The water coil unit comprises a verticalinlet header or chambered pipe 27, the lower end of which is connectedto the elbow 7, by an upright pipe 28. Threaded into the upper end ofthe pipe 27, is the lower end of a vertical stand pipe 29, whichprojects upwardly through a suitable opening in the caslng top ring 25.A cap 30, is engaged on the upper end of the stand pipe 29. As clearlyshown in Figure 9, the inlet pipe 27, is provided with a plurality oftransverse partitions 31, for dividing the interior of said plpe into aplurality of chambers 32. Each of the chamber sections is provided withfan externally threaded water inlet sleeve or arm 33, and an outletsleeve or arm 34, disposed at an angle with respect to one another. Eachof the arms 33 and 34, is provided with a packing ring 35, held in placeby an internally threaded cap 36, for the purpose of forming anon-leaking joint with the end of a copper water coil.

A plurality of copper intermediate or entrance water coils 37 areprovided positioned one above the other. The ends of each coil 37 aredirected toward one another at an angle but are disposed in differentplanes to permit one end 38, to be attached to one of the outlet arms33, of one chamber, while the other coil end 39, is connected to theinlet arm 34, of the chamber above the chamber to which the outlet endof said coil is connected. It will thus be noted that water entering theheater through the elbow 7, flows through the pipe 28, into thelowermost chamber 32, of

the chambered pipe 27, and flows out of said chamber into the end 38, ofthe lowermost coil 37. The water then passes through the coil 37 and outof the coil end 39, entering the next chamber 32. The coils 37, thus areconnected in series by means of the pipe 27.

Connected to the outlet arm 33, of the uppermost chamber 32, of the pipe27, is one end 40, of an upper copper coil 41, the other end 42, ofwhich is positioned and connected with an inlet arm 43, integrallyformed at the upper end of an upright outlet chambered pipe 44. The pipe44, is provided with a transverse partition 45, near the lower endthereof to divide the interior of the same into an upper chamber 46, anda lower outlet chamber 47. An outlet arm 48, is integrally formed on thepipe 44, near the lower end of the upper chamber 46.

A water outlet coil 49, is positioned within the casing 23, below thelowermost coil 37, and directly above the heater burners 4, to permitthe outgoing water to receive the greatest amount of heat from saidburners. The outlet coil 49, is constructed the same as the coils 37,and has one end thereof connected to the arm 48. The other end of theoutlet coil 49, is connected to an arm 50, which communicates with thelower or outlet chamber 47, of the pipe 44. The upper coil 41 and thelowermost coil 49, are separated by the coils 37, but are connected inseries therewith by means of the outlet chambered pipe 44. From thelower or outlet chamber 47, of the outlet header 44, the heated water ispermitted to flow through a pipe 51, and the outlet elbow 8, into theoutlet pipe 22, to the hot water faucets connected with theinstantaneous heater. Threaded into the upper end of the outlet pipe 44,is the lower end of a vertical stand pipe 52, which projects upwardlythrough a suitable opening in the top ring 20. A cap 53, is engaged onthe upper projecting end of the stand pipe 52.

The operation is as follows:

The instantaneous water heater is automatically controlled by theopening and closing of the hot water faucets connected in the hot waterpiping system of which the heater forms a part. Normally the pilot gasvalve or cook 11, is opened to permit a small supply of gas to enter thepilot burner 10. The pilot 10, is lighted by opening the door 6, andsaid pilot is left burning all the time.

hen a hot water faucet connected with the pipe 22, is opened, the watervalve 16 is automatically operated by water pressure to cause the valvestem 19 to contact and actuate the gas valve stem 18, to open the gasvalve 15. Gas is thereby admitted to the heater burners 4, and escapestherefrom to be ignited by the burning pilot 10. The flames from thebattery of burners pass upwardly around the heater coils, resulting in avery rapid or substantially an instantaneous heating of the waterpassing through the heater coils and the supporting chambered pipes. Byopening a faucet the water valve 16 and the gas valve 15, areautomatically opened to permit water to flow through the heater coilsand at the same time permitting gas to enter the burners 4:.

As the water enters the heater through the pipe 28, it flows into thelower end of the intake pipe 27, and is rapidly heated by flowingupwardly through the respective coils 37 and the chambers 32, to theupper chamber 32, to enter and flow through the upper heater coil 41,and pass over into the upper end of the upper chamber l6, of the outletpipe a l. The water flows downwardly through the outlet chamber 46, andenters the lowermost or outlet coil 49 of the heater where the waterpassing through said coil 49, receives the greatest amount of heat fromthe burners 4, just before leaving the heater by way of the lowerchamber 17, and the outlet elbow 8, to flow through the water pipe 22,and out of the open faucet.

Attention is specifically called to the novel arrangement of the coilunit disclosed in Figure 2, said unit embracing the chainbered pipes 27and 14, to which the water coils are connected. The last coil throughwhich the water flows is positioned nearest the burners 4:, and belowthe coils 37, so that the heated water just before leaving the heaterpasses through the hottest portion of the heater casing. The water isaccordingly delivered to the water outlet pipe 22, highly heated. Itwill also be noted that the last two coils through which the water flowsare the uppermost and lowermost coils 41 and 4E9 respectively, which areseparated by the series of coils 37 connected to the intake pipe 27.

The stand pipes 29 and 52, connected with the pipes 27 and l serve tohold the coil unit braced in position and also provide suitableexpansion chambers to equalize the pressure and prevent steam hammering.

I am aware that numerous details of construction may be varied through awide range without departing from the principles of this invention, andI therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted otherwise thannecessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A water heater, comprising a casing, a water coil unit mounted insaid casing comprising a vertical chambered pipe, a plurality of coilsconnected to communicate with adjacent chambers of said pipe, a top coilhaving one end connected with the upper chamber of said pipe, a secondvertical chambered pipe connected with the other end of said top coil, abottom coil through which the water passes last, said bottom coil havingthe ends thereof connected with different chambers of said secondchambered pipe, a rim on the upper end of said casing, and an aperturedcover on said rim, said chambered pipes extending through said rim andserving as expansion chambers.

2. A water heater, comprising a base, inlet and outlet elbows formedintegral with said base, a casing mounted on said base, a verticalchambered pipe in said casing and mounted on said inlet elbow, aplurality of coils connected to communicate with adjacent chambers ofsaid pipe, a top coil having one end connected with the upper chamber ofsaid pipe, a second vertical chambered pipe mounted on said outlet elbowand connected with the other end of said top coil, a bottom coil throughwhich the water passes last, said bottom coil having the ends there ofconnected with different chambers of said second chambered pipe, a rimon the upper end of said casing and an apertured cover on said rim, saidchambered pipes extending through said rim and serving as exaansionchambers.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses:

CHRISTOPHER C. WEAVER. Witnesses EARL M. HARDENE, FRED E. PAESLEl-l.

